Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

School is starting today, the unofficial, official close to summer.  Of course when I was a kid, school started the Tuesday after Labor Day, as well it still should.  But here we are, a week early and it's a little dreary and rainy outside.  Apropos for the 'end of summer'.

Unlike most parents who are eager to get the school routines underway, I am sad to send my sons off to school.  My sons both thrived under their teachers' guidance in the early years of school, but they now also thrive at home, both of them spending countless hours reading and even watching the news.  They can talk politics and current events with adults and are sometimes more informed than the adults they are conversing with.  They love to visit historical sites and museums when we come across them in our travels.  But alas, I am not capable of teaching in a home school situation so school is a necessary evil.

As much as I hate to summer leave us, I do love the fall.  Here in New England we are fortunate to experience all four seasons and while I adore being at the beach in summer, I have to say fall is my favorite season.  The weather is comfortable, the changing colors of the leaves is beautiful.  We go apple picking, pumpkin picking and decorate for fall/Halloween with cornstalks and beautifully colored mums, scarecrows and even a Halloween graveyard. There are hayrides, the Pumpkin Spectacular at the zoo (over 5000 lit up carved pumpkins) and Thanksgiving.  So while I reluctantly say goodbye to summer, there is a little twinge of anticipation for our fall activities!

Our Graveyard! 

My beautiful children!

Pumpkin Spectacular